Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1887-07-19
miscellaneous.
A Naughty, Naughty Man.

He bade his wife fearful good
by. My love, my only onei The
time will soon be here when 1 shall
be in a position to snap my fingers at
fate and set up as myo boss. Then
we shall have no more of these cruel
partings." iti..'.
"2And you will be true to me?"
Gas always am" he responded.
" You did not forget to put that pho
to you had especially taken for me in
my 'gripsack,' did you?"
"Oh, dear, no. Are you sure you
will look at it sometime, lover"
You wicked doubter! You know
that 1 should be wretched without
at least such a semblance of my pet
to look at daily and nightly"
Draw the veil of charity over his
grief and the treachery of one in
whom he had such nnbounded conf
dence.
: In brief she, his only love, his pet,
his wife, had secretly planned to
make him wretched. She had taken
that photograph from his gripsack,
and was gloating over his misery
when he should discover that only
memory remained to him, for the
time being, of his darling's looks.
Dear fellow, how he will scold
me for the trick" she thought; ''but
1 will send him the photograph in the
first letter write to him.
Thus appeasing her conscience,
she waited for his first letter. 1t
came from Chicago and began as fol-
lows: f9 ~. 20 a1ls..sts- q
"My hearts delight:-Got here
o. K. this A. NJ. Have been wrest-
ling with the trade all day, and a
rough time I've had of it. Weary
and tagged I have retired to my room,
shut out the gilded atmosphere of sin
that envelopes this terrible city, and
taken from my satchel your sweet
picture. 1t is before me as write.
1 shall kiss it when / have said my
evening prayer. 1t will rest under
my pillow. tits my one soIace until
1 hold you, my sweet wife, in these
faithful arms again"
Thus far she read, then she top
pied over on the floor.
What comfort she found there it is
hard to say; but great determine
ton rose with the stricken wife, who
went out an hour later and sought a
telegraph Office.
Her husband had been saying his
prayers abroad that evening, and
when he got to his hotel about mid
night his spiritual emotions received a
new shock by a telegram from his
" love-
1t was elaborate for dispatch, but
under the circumstances one could
not expect an outraged wife to trans
init her feelings by the slow mail
This dispatch read:
You are no longer the only drum
mer who is not a liar, as you have
always claimed. Let the fraternity
take you as their chief into their
heart. Had you taken the pains even
to look for the photograph you say
your prayers TO, you would have dis
covered that had-to test you're.
moved it. My faith in you is dead %
The husband clutched his hair.
Why, what did 1 write to her
anyway" he muttered.
After awhile his face cleared.
BY Jove? I must have piled on
the taffy. That's what man gets for
trying his best to make a woman feel
good! Poor little dear, what fume
she must be in! Lucky for me she
gave her grievance away. What
geese women are! Bless your little
noddle, her faith shall be resur-
rected."
Forthwith he telegraphed to a
knowing friend:
"Send me, first mail, photograph
of my wife. Beg, borrow, steal it,
get it somehow. VIII write all par
ticuIars soon" s-ts... B. --.--..s
A week later a drummer, in digni-
fed martyrdom, stood face to face
with stern, but very wept out wife.
She expected to find him meek and
humble, but he gazed upon her with
much scorn, and then passed on TO
his room in crushing silence. She
was amazed. With quick impulse
she followed, thanking heaven he had
4 Il